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Thankfully for mankind, medical science continues to progress and improve into this new century. One thing that is being treated better today than ever before is pain. Many patients that have previously been forced to live with chronic and debilitating pain are now able to dull that pain through the use of new, cutting-edge treatments that have only been introduced in the past few years. Other treatments are being developed now and may find wide adoption in the near future. Below are just a few examples.
Nerve Inhibiting Antibodies
A recently released study has demonstrated that tanezumab, an antibody, has the ability to inhibit the regular operation of nerves. When injected under the skin in patients with lower back pain, it relieved that pain for very significant amounts of time.
In fact, patients who had previously had no relief from their ongoing back pain, even after trying multiple kinds of pain medication, found that a single dose of tanezumab was effective for two months.
In the future, the data that has been taken from this study will probably be used to develop antibody-based therapies for other kinds of chronic pain as well.
Cold Laser Therapies
Another recent development has been the introduction of cold laser therapies to treat chronic pain. This kind of therapy involves the application of a laser with a specific frequency to the sources of pain on the body. This is not an in-patient treatment and is much less intrusive than other options like surgery or acupuncture. It also can be used to treat pain almost anywhere on the body, from back pain to athletic injuries.
The cold laser device therapy can reduce pain, increase blood flow, improve oxygenation, lower inflammation, and increase the rate of cellular recovery for certain kinds of injuries. A cold laser device can even be used to apply the same kind of therapy to pets in a veterinary clinic.
Cannabis
While the use of medical marijuana to treat chronic pain is not entirely new, it is becoming a more widely adopted pain relieving therapy. This is, of course, thanks to recent legislative changes in many states across the nation that have made medical marijuana more accessible to patients than ever before. This change in the law has even led to a large number of senior citizens using cannabis to treat their chronic pain.
As it becomes more accessible and acceptable, more and more forms of the substance are becoming available. CBD, the chemical in cannabis most known for relieving pain, is available in oils, tinctures, topical creams, edibles, and many other varieties. The diversity of options makes it easier for patients to find a type that works best for them and their pain.
Spider-Based Pain Relief
While most people are at least a little afraid of spiders, you may find it surprising to hear that the use of spiders may soon relieve the extreme pain experienced by many patients.
Researchers have been developing a new treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, often referred to simply as IBS, by studying the effects of venom taken from 28 different species of spiders when given to patients in very small doses. The venom of one variety of tarantula has shown great promise in regards to blocking pain experienced in the colon and bladder.
Pain is horrible to deal with. When the pain is chronic, you may have to live with it all the time. In addition to the physical pain you feel, ongoing pain can lead to depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and other issues.
Thankfully, new and innovative therapies are helping more people than ever before treat their pain. In the near future, even more people are likely to be able to live pain-free lives again.
